Author: Bill Hall

Luke 2:17 “Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.”

   There is not a hint of hesitation here. These men did not stop to consider their low estate. They did not stop to consider if some might not listen. They went, and they spread the truth far and wide. How often do we let unimportant considerations keep us from doing the same?

Heavenly Father, thank You for the Child, the Lord Jesus Christ! May we have strength as we seek to reach every last corner of humanity with the gospel. We will praise You for Your Word! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:16 “And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.”

   The shepherds wasted no time. They didn’t wait until it was convenient. They didn’t take the scenic route. They knew they had no time for other things. The time was now.
   The message of the gospel has always been this way. Now is the time. There is nothing to wait till tomorrow for. If souls are ready and ripe, the harvest cannot wait.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the message of the gospel. Thank You for making it available to me! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:15 “So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”

I have always been amazed by this little verse. Notice how the shepherds speak here. Look at the phrasing. They acknowledge the fact that this event fulfills prophecy. And then they highlight​ the fact that this great thing was revealed to them, common shepherds.

Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Yourself to us. You don’t reserve Your truth for only the elite. You have opened it up for all. We magnify You for Your wisdom! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:14 ““Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

   Many may cry foul. Peace has not come to this earth. Ah, but you missed the other word, goodwill. And what does that mean? Well, put them together and you understand why all the world does not have peace. Indeed, peace is very illusive. This is because peace will accompany goodwill. And goodwill is a choice. Unfortunately, it is a choice we often fail to make. So where His goodwill is accepted, His peace is experienced. Where His goodwill is shunned, His peace is absent.

Heavenly Father, thank You for both Your peace and Your goodwill. May we be blessed to enjoy both! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:13 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:”

   This must have been an amazing sight to say the least. We don’t know how many shepherds there were, but they were surely outnumbered by the hosts of heaven. They would never forget that night.

Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your great glory! You make Yourself known as You see fit. Give us Your guidance as we see Your truth. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:12 “And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

   I wonder if the shepherds thought to themselves, wow, really? That’s just not where one would expect to find the Messiah. But, they would expect His birth to be unique. And it certainly was!

Heavenly Father, thank You for the unexpected. Sometimes it can be hard to thank You for that, but it is always for the best. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:11 “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

   Notice the order here. He is a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. The Jews understood a lot about the Messiah, but they did not yet fully know how the Messiah would save His people. Beyond this, the angel did not proclaim Christ as prophet, preist, or king. He is all three, most certainly. But, the focus here is on His role as our Savior.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the Savior! We will praise You for ever for Your plan of redemption. Your wisdom in orchestrating it all is so amazing. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:10 “Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.”

   The news of the birth of Christ is the best news any human could ever receive. Christ brings hope to the human soul. Without Him, all we have is Adam. Adam, as each of us, has fallen. He will never bring us hope.

Heavenly Father, thank You for hope in Christ! We can never thank You enough! Give us Your grace as we seek to share Your truth with others. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:9 “And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.”

   This angelic visit was different in several ways from many of the others we find in Scripture. For one, it was very public. Usually we find angels meeting with only one or two persons. Secondly, we see the glory of the Lord shining around them. In other words, it seems like there was a source of light other than just the one angel. And, of course, a whole group of angels joins the one after his announcement. I can only imagine being those shepherds!

Heavenly Father, thank You for how You have communicated with Your people over time. You are gracious, loving, and good. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:8 “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.”

   Those who believe God is an impersonal force have never considered the God of the Bible. He is personal to the greatest possible degree. Our own personhood is but a reflection of His.
   We see the evidence of this in verses such as this one. The Lord chooses to announce the arrival of His Son not to the political powers, or the religious elite, but to the common shepherds. Like Jacob or David, these men were familiar with the difficulty of first-level survival. They knew the toil, the dangers, the surprises, the sleepless nights, the cold and rain, and all of the miserable real of subsistence. They would be the first to understand the circumstances in which the Lord of Glory was about to be placed.

Heavenly Father, give us a perspective on life that keeps us close to the real. We can so easily forget the circumstances of the less fortunate as we enjoy the convenience of our lives. Thank You for Your blessings, but thank You also for Your wisdom! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.